In view of the rapidly increasing proportion of the ageing and departments of geriatrics being founded in most medical schools that stress medication reviews, it is appropriate for this section to increase awareness of AACT members on the toxicologic issues of the elderly.
Leadership
About the Geriatric Toxicology Section
In view of the rapidly increasing proportion of the ageing and departments of geriatrics being founded in most medical schools that stress medication reviews, it is appropriate for this SIG to increase awareness of AACT members on the toxicologic issues of the elderly. These include problems associated with polypharmacy, the pharmacogenomics of related drug interactions, prolonged drug half-lives, enhanced AUCs and poorly tolerated medications.
Section Projects
Implementing and organizing education on geriatric toxicology with the subtitle of drug safety in the elderly at NACCT, in toxicology grand rounds and other conferences. Encouraging research on this topic in toxicology fellowships and poison centers internationally. Promoting relationships to include information on this topic with professional societies, PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers), pharmaceutical companies, DURs (drug utilization review boards), IRBs (Institutional Review Boards) and hospital P&Ts (pharmacy and therapeutic committees).While attention from the FDA has been successfully directed to include children in clinical trials and labeling, similarly the FDA needs to be attentive to the elderly with appropriate prescribing and dispensing labeling.Promoting editing and publishing appropriate literature.
Joanne Doyle Petrongolo, PharmD spoke on September 16 at the NAACT Boston on “Drug Safety in the Elderly”. She has spoken on this topic throughout other hospitals in the Harvard teaching hospital system and the Boston area. She has served as president of the Massachusetts Pharmacists’ Association.